CHARLOTTE,N.C.– Duke Power crews, assisted by an additional 3,750 line and tree personnel from 14 states, have restored electric service to more than 217,500 customers interrupted by the February 27 ice storm.

“This storm caused severe damage in a concentrated area,” said E.O. Ferrell, Duke Power’s senior vice president of electric distribution. “The Triad area was hardest hit, but we have the people, the materials and the commitment to safely and efficiently return electric service to all customers.”

Duke Power crews are receiving utility assistance from the following states:Alabama,Georgia,Delaware,Florida,South Carolina,North Carolina,Indiana,Kentucky,Tennessee,Virginia,West Virginia,Pennsylvania,OhioandTexas.

“While some areas with significant damage are densely populated, many are more rural,” continued Ferrell. “Damage in rural areas can be more difficult to repair and take longer. Restoration efforts may continue until midweek for areas with the most severe damage, and customers without electricity in these areas are encouraged to consider alternate arrangements based on this restoration estimate.”

The structure of electrical lines doesn’t always follow the construction of neighborhoods and streets, so there may be occasions where restoration of a circuit restores electricity to some homes or businesses but nearby locations served by different circuits could remain without power.

Customers without power are encouraged to visually inspect their meter box and the service line connecting to their home to see if either is damaged. If damaged, Duke Power recommends customers turn off their main electric breaker until that damage is repaired. If the meter box is damaged or pulled away from the building, customers need to contact a licensed electrician for repairs and their local county inspection office for an inspection.

All downed power lines and any object touching a line should always be regarded as potentially energized and dangerous. Outages should be reported by calling 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766). Spanish speaking customers may call 1-800-943-6914 to report an outage.

Storm-related information and Duke Power weather updates can be accessed online at: www.dukepower.com.

Duke Power focuses on restoration efforts in the following sequence, many of which occur simultaneously. This sequence enables power restoration to public health and safety facilities and to the greatest number of locations in the shortest length of time:

Distribution feeders and subfeeders, the “backbone” of the power delivery system;

Distribution tap lines, which connect the backbone to individual locations (neighborhood lines); and

Distribution transformers and individual service lines.

Currently, there are more than 132,500 outages system-wide. Major areas affected are:

System

Winston-Salem

40,000

Greensboro

45,300

High Point

5,100

Burlington

15,200

Reidsville

15,200

Durham

Cleared

Madison

5,500

Eden

5,800

Chapel Hill/Orange County

9

Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities and provides safe, reliable, competitively priced electricity to approximately two million customers inNorth CarolinaandSouth Carolina. Duke Power operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous combustion turbine units. Total system generating capability is approximately 17,800 megawatts. More information about Duke Power is available on the Internet at: www.dukepower.com.

Duke Energy is a diversified multinational energy company with an integrated network of energy assets and expertise. The company manages a dynamic portfolio of natural gas and electric supply, delivery and trading businesses – meeting the energy needs of customers throughoutNorth Americaand in key markets around the world. Duke Energy, headquartered inCharlotte,N.C., is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.